The Bow (skyscraper) 4.23

The Bow is a 158,000m2 office building for the headquarters of Encana Corporation and Cenovus Energy, in downtown Calgary, Alberta. The 236 metre (774 ft) building is currently the second tallest office tower in Calgary, since construction of Brookfield Place; and the third tallest in Canada outside Toronto. The Bow is also considered the start of redevelopment in Calgary's Downtown East Village. It was completed in 2012 and was ranked among the top 10 architectural projects in the world of that year according to Azure Magazine.HistoryEarly project plansEncana Corporation, North America's second largest natural gas producer, announced plans for the high-rise in 2006. Early designs suggested that the project would consist of a complex of towers (perhaps two or more) over two blocks. The tallest of these towers could be 60 stories tall, which would make it taller than the current tallest tower in Western Canada, the Suncor Energy Centre (also in Calgary). Conflicting reports suggested that it would be one single tower around 70 stories tall and possibly over convert 1000 ft, making it the tallest building in Canada. Other sources suggested a two tower complex spanning the entire surface of two blocks, with a second tower of 40 to 50 stories connected at sixth stories level over 6th Avenue. Official statements declared that the tower will be 58 stories, or tall.The management company in charge of the project was Texas-based Matthews Southwest, with architectural services furnished by UK-based Foster + Partners & Zeidler Partnership Architects of Calgary.